A message from sisters in Afghanistan

Earlier this month the National Commission on Violence Against Women held a public dialog on the impacts of fundamentalism, among others addressed by a representative of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), Tahmeena Faryal. The following are excerpts of an interview with The Jakarta Post's Ati Nurbaiti.

Question: What is the situation like for RAWA members in Afghanistan?

Answer: RAWA is based in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. We also have members who have never left Afghanistan. Of course, it is not safe for those who are based there. We were first an underground organization (since 1997) but we also have a hospital and schools and literacy classes, and income generating activities, as a way to reach out particularly to the women.

As a women's organization what's important is to raise consciousness of their potentials, that they are not subhuman. Women have told us that since the fundamentalists (both the Northern Alliance or the Taliban following Soviet occupation) took power they eventually felt they were nothing.

It's really a great task to change this attitude. People may not notice that this is revolutionary.

And why is that revolutionary?

Women were unaware of their abilities. Once they realized that they said they feel reborn. Some men are also supportive. That takes time, and RAWA has succeeded in changing some men's mentality too (towards women). There are RAWA members who still have to struggle within their own families, against their brothers and fathers ...

RAWA focused earlier only on women's rights but when the Soviets came we saw we had to change our strategy. As long as we were occupied, fighting only for women's rights would be meaningless so we took part in the resistance. ...

The (rulers) for decades caused much damage, and great psychological damage to women. To reach further goals, simply to have a humane society, we have to get rid of the fundamentalists (in Afghanistan).

Many of our women also hope to see the adoption of the sharia, among others because it would be consistent with the belief that Islam is a way of life.

Our message is that people should not advocate for a government mainly influenced by fundamentalists. When any religion is abused by government they make it such a violent tool especially against women (reports of women's experience in Afghanistan came to light among others from RAWA's website, www.rawa.org). What happened in Afghanistan all took place in the name of Islam. When religion is politicized it is interpreted according to the rulers' own interest and women in particular are the ones who suffer.

There is a very big gap between the Islam which is politicized and misinterpreted by the fundamentalists (in Afghanistan) and the Islam that people believe in their hearts. There is still strong fundamentalist leaning in the (ruling) Northern Alliance. How has the America-led war on terrorism helped Afghans?

It has not helped significantly. They got rid of the Taliban but brought back the Northern Alliance which ruled from 1992 to 1996. The Alliance caused unprecedented cruelty including raping, abducting women and forced marriages; destruction of 70 percent of (the capital) Kabul and mental damage. There was not much left for the Taliban to destroy apart from the Buddhist monuments.

Women and others cannot forget that the Northern Alliance is essentially the same as the Taliban (regarding atrocities). Most women still wear the burkha for security. Without the presence of the United Nation forces the same brutality would most probably occur. Once the UN leaves it will be back to warlordism. In a period of a country's transition could you deal with women issues after things like democracy is achieved?

Dealing with women issues cannot be separated with other vital issues. Resistance (against Soviet rule) was indeed our priority. But what is also important is freedom of expression and human rights. These issues concern everyone including women -- also the need for a secular government for both men and women. What are the changes in your generation compared to your mother's?

Our family were refugees (fleeing to Pakistan) since the 1980s. For my mother and women of her generation (the changes) must be even more difficult because they experienced a time when women were very active; women made up 40 percent of doctors, 60 percent of teachers and 50 percent of students. For me it has always been (memories of) war, migrating, constant fear.

Are you at least happy with the lifting of the burkha?

The burkha was never the biggest problem for our women, they had so many problems they forgot the burkha was a problem ...

With all that experience how do you view Islam?

That all of our problems have nothing to do with Islam. In Arabic countries there is actually a long time practice of equality in education, women working outside the home, no imposition of the burkha. Also in Afghanistan my grandparents believed in equal high education (for men and women). What would be good examples of countries adopting religion at the formal, national level such as through the sharia? Are women who support such aspirations unaware of experiences such as in Afghanistan?

There were women in Afghanistan who were also supportive of the Taliban, it's understandable though I don't think they were a majority. Perhaps women (in other countries) just do not know, just look at (the experience of) their sisters in Afghanistan. Unfortunately I can't think of a good example of countries (adopting the sharia).

If any government wants to be democratic why do they have to use religion? Because religion is the only means to enjoy (people's) support and to impose (their rule) on the people.

Therefore the government must be secular and religion must be a personal issue. A secular government would best protect (rights to practice) religion. Even among Muslims we saw the killing of shi'ites by sunni's (members of different schools in Islam). What do you ask of the international community regarding the global war on terrorism?

Other countries like India, western countries and Pakistan, must stop supporting fundamentalist elements; the world community should help our preparations for a democratic election, and help us further in securing democracy and human rights; and we need more peacekeeping UN forces. Now they are not even in the suburbs and warlordism is all over the place, we're hearing horrible stories (of atrocities). The warlords must be disarmed. But the world community might argue that the Northern Alliance is the best option available.

Yes, after Sept. 11 it was claimed that the Alliance were the only people who could help U.S. troops on the ground. If this is a war on terrorism why do they forget that the Northern Alliance are terrorists? Why should they rely on terrorists and their brand of fundamentalism to fight other terrorists?

If this is all for the people's interest then there must be no support to the Northern Alliance, but to democratic loving forces which surely exist. The former king and his supporters are among them. Who made the Alliance a force, where did they get weapons from? They were formerly just ordinary people, like the Taliban. How is society healing?

The way that Afghanistan has been damaged including the mental damage to its people, it may take decades to heal. All families have been affected, family members have disappeared or have been killed or have migrated. The only heal would be democracy.